Six Most Stylish Teams at the 2012 Tour of California (Photos)

May 11, 2012

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They say cycling is the most beautiful sport in the world, and, really, who are we to argue with that? Here’s a look at a half-dozen teams racing this year’s Tour of California that we think deserve special mention in the fashion department. —Jen See

Kids know style. Bontrager-Livestrong is a U.S.-based development team, and these lads know how to dress. Black jersey, black shorts, and stealthy black bikes—it’s all so punk-rock. Yellow highlights represent the Livestrong brand and give that all-important zing to an otherwise understated look. Black bikes are all the rage this season, and Bontrager-Livestrong isn't about to be caught looking so last year—its riders rock black Treks with white lettering. What’s that, you say? This black-and-white scheme sounds more vanilla than punk-rock?

People, the shoes! Look at those shoes! I'd die a thousand times for the shoes. They’re orange. Then, they fade to black at the heels. And they have black toes. Bright orange shoes! My heart is yours, Bontrager-Livestrong. Follow the team on Twitter at @BontragerLS

One day, I walked down to my favorite coffee shop in Santa Barbara and there up against the wall leaned a pile of orange-and-black Orbeas. I stopped. And I looked. And I looked so, so much more. Those orange stripes! So swoopy! Swoopy is good, in case you were wondering. An orange and black pairing often evokes thoughts of Halloween, but on these Optum Orbeas, orange and black mean fast and stylish. Viewed up close, the Optum kits have a kaleidoscopic pattern with orange and yellow all mixed up together. Staring at this pattern for too long might be a bad idea. Paired with black and white, it looks distinctive. Who wants to look like everyone else? Not the men of Optum, that’s for sure.

Plus, Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies includes a women’s team—and nothing makes a team more stylish than supporting women’s cycling. This is a rule. Ignore it at your peril. Team Twitter feed: @OPTUMpbKBS

Winning races doubles any team’s style points. Win Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders in the same season? Boom! Instant style. Sea-foam green looks more at home in a wedding party than at a bike race. But let’s get real here. Does it matter what color a four-time Paris-Roubaix winner wears? The sea-foam and white jerseys are paired with black shorts—never a bad choice. Black is so slimming, you know. Contrast flatlock stitching on the shorts ties the look together. It’s those little details that separate the truly stylish from the rest.

For bikes, the fashion-forward men of Omega Pharma–Quick-Step roll on understated black-and-white frames from the Specialized S-Works collection. The stylized Specialized “S” logo decorates the head tubes of the bikes and the front of the shorts. Just like a winning sprint train, that’s perfect coordination right there. Find them on Twitter at @opqscyclingteam

At last year’s Amgen Tour of California, the time trial was held on a blazing-hot day in Solvang. I stopped by the Garmin-Barracuda bus after the stage, and there stood team manager Jonathan Vaughters perfectly turned out in a blue-checked shirt and leather shoes, his razor-shaped sideburns coiffed nicely. I confess, I was feeling slightly disheveled—but Vaughters looked fresh and pressed. Style, it starts at the top.

When they first came on the scene, Garmin-Barracuda showed up to races decked out in bright orange and blue argyle. They definitely stood out. I confess that the old argyle style made my eyes cross a little. But with this year’s kit, the Garmin-Barracuda boys have hopped on the style train. The argyle is not gone, just restrained to a trim around the bottom of the jersey. It’s a sly wink to their roots. And that baby blue! Who doesn’t like a man dressed up in blue? The Cervélo “é” logo adds the finishing touch. Follow them on Twitter: @Ride_Argyle

How did Bissell get on the most stylish list? Two words, my friends: Pinarello and Campagnolo—don’t tell me that combo doesn’t make you at least a little giddy. I’m feeling a few doubts right now. The Bissell team Pinarellos are black and white with perfectly placed red highlights. Eye-candy alert! The chainstays and forks look like they’re straight out of a Salvador Dalí painting. Red-and-white saddles complete the look. Ooh là là, this is one beautiful bicycle.

But I would be remiss if I didn’t give the men of Bissell their due. Black shorts are always in style, and the jersey perfectly matches the red-white-and-black bikes. Of course, the helmets match. There’s even black contrast stitching in the red panels of the shorts. Because if you're going to ride a Pinarello, you'd better have a stylish kit to go with it. For more, follow them on Twitter at @BissellCycling

Liquigas-Cannondale is Italian, and Ted King, the King of Style, rides for them. Quite simply, this team oozes style from head to toe. Black kits? Don’t even think about it. Liquigas is all about color, lime green to be exact. The color isn’t for everyone, but the men of Liquigas totally own it. Blue and white accents provide contrast. The mismatched sleeves—blue on right and green on the left—are a truly inspired touch. Only in Italy. The team’s lime-green-and-blue Sidi shoes not only match their kits, they’re also shiny. Shiny shoes! I feel faint, suddenly. I’m not sure about the tiny bubbles that dot the shoes, but who am I to question Italian style?